Chapter 641

「Fran, thank you for letting Romio and Zelos Reed off your hook this time」

「Rhyn...」

「You are such a sweet girl, aren't you? Even when you were angry, you subconsciously kept Romio out of this」

「Not really... It was just that that kid looks so pitiful」

「But thanks to you, I was able to put Romio, Zelos Reed, and Zelyse out of this. Besides, thanks to your permission, I was able to borrow Sword-san's help. Without It, the connection would not have been successful」

「Where did you send them?」

「Very far away」

「I see... But did we have to let Zelyse go too?」

「Yes. And it was for you guys' sake too」

「?」

Just like usual, it was hard to understand what this spirit, Rhyn, was saying. But I knew Rhyn was not an enemy. So, I did as Rhyn had asked me to do, and stopped myself from trying to kill Zelos Reed.

Romio and the others seemed to have teleported somewhere, but I wonder where they went?

「Fran, with this, there's no one around who might get involved in this anymore. So, you can get serious now」

「Get serious... Really?」

「Yes... Weena Rhyn was quite far away from here too. So, it's okay now」

「Nn... Okay」

I'd gotten stronger ever since that day when I lost to Murellia and had lost Urushi.

「Master, let's do our best」

『Okay』

「...Nn」

I wondered when had Master started acting strangely?

Was it at Barbra, when I defeated a lot of magic stone golems that Zelyse was controlling? Or was it around the time I won the martial arts tournament?

When we first came to the Beastman Country, I didn't think he was like he was now.

But then I noticed that he was getting less and less talkative to me. And he wouldn't speak unless I asked him first.

But that was not all.

No matter what I asked, he was indifferent.

『I'm just a sword』

『You think, Fran』

『If that's Fran's choice, I'll follow it』

His voice was no longer as gentle and reassuring as it used to be.

He sounded as if he wasn't a person.

I want to hear more of Master's voice. But I'm afraid to talk to him myself. Because he'd always answer "I'm Fran's sword, so I'll follow Fran's decision" with that cold voice again.

No matter how hard I pushed myself, Master would never praise me anymore. Even if he did, he would just say "Well done" in that cold voice again.

In town, a drunk man made fun of me and I got a little violent and was involved in a fight. But at that time, Master warned me "You've gone too far, Fran".

It was only a little, but I think it was Master's old voice.

If I became a bad kid, would Master let me hear his old voice again like before? I thought so, but that was only at the beginning. Soon, he stopped saying anything.

That was when I saw him again.

Zelos Reed, the one who had killed Kiara.

I had never forgotten about him, but I'd never chased after him. After all, Kiara had told me not to seek revenge.

But then he showed up right in front of me. And with a child with him.

Both Zelos Reed and Romio seemed to be very calm. They seemed to have been through a lot, and even now they were being held captive.

But they looked so happy.

Did I ever have a smile like that on my face?

Somehow, looking at them made me frustrated.

「Hey, Master. Why am I feeling something like this?」

『I don't understand. Was there anything that caused you to be stressed?』

「I don't know...」

『You have no idea why you're stressed?』

「I don't know! I don't know why!」

『Then, I don't know why either』

Somehow, I just didn't care anymore. Anyway, I'd kill Zelos Reed. But as I was thinking that, Rhyn stopped me.

Moreover, Rhyn asked me to lend her our help because she really needed Master's Dimensional Magic to save Romio and Zelos Reed. Rhyn had saved my life once before. So, I couldn't refuse her request.

But why were we helping Zelos Reed?

I couldn't keep my head organized and it was all messed up. I even had a hard time controlling my frustration.

"Let's vent out all my frustration by attacking the Great Magic Beast," I thought.

And she told me I could go serious this time.

The last time I got serious was when I was on the Plains of the Demon Wolf, I broke a barrier that the Goddess had made, and she got mad at me. But this was a lake many times wider than the Plains of the Demon Wolf. Even if we went all out this time, nothing would get caught in our range.

Let's do this!

「...Release the pieces of the Evil God's power...」

『Destroy everything! Destroy――』

「Shut up, all you have to do is give me your power」

Following my words, a large amount of Evil Spirits then overflowed from the piece of the Evil God sealed inside Master to me. Before, I couldn't control this Evil Spirit well and went out of control, but now I could control it perfectly.

I didn't want to admit it, but it was the same power that Murellia had used. I hated it so much when I got this power that it made me want to throw up, but now I'm going to use it.

「...Soul of the Night Sky activated」

This was the unique skill of the Dark Knight Wolf. It was a power we inherited from the magic stone that Urushi, who died protecting me from Murellia's attack, entrusted to us at the end of his life. It was a skill that could enhance one's status only during the night like now.

「Master, activate all the other strengthening skills」

『Okay』

There used to be an onee-san with a kind voice called "Announcer-san" who used to give me a lot of advice, but she had disappeared, saying something about the Evil control.

I could feel my body screaming as I applied too much strengthening on top of each other.

I keep thinking that I might die. I never thought about it before Master became like what he was now, but I get a little scared about the thought of it now.

But I also thought that I didn't mind if I die. So, I'd just do what I always did.

「Master, don't mind using recovery magic, just put everything into strengthening」

『Okay』

I continue to talk while holding the pain in my body.

「Can I use Master in his Potential Release state?」

『I'm a sword. I have no right to judge. I'll follow Fran's decision』

「Master's thought, I want to hear it」

『If you use it, you will be able to defeat it for sure. However, the backlash will affect your future battles. In some cases, your life may be in danger. If you don't use it, you may or may not be able to defeat it. However, you can maintain your fighting ability』

「Not that, that's not what I meant. Let me hear which one you think is better, Master」

『I don't have the right to answer that question』

Just as I was about to get disappointed with Master's usual answer.

『Oi! The idiot over there! You bastard! Why are you making Fran cry!? I'll never forgive you!』

For a moment, I thought I heard Master's old gentle voice.